SANE

Overview

SANE was established in 1986 to improve the quality of life for people affected by mental illness, following the overwhelming public response to a series of articles published in The Times entitled The Forgotten Illness.

Written by the charity’s founder and Chief Executive, Marjorie Wallace, the articles exposed the neglect of people suffering from mental illness and the poverty of services and information for individuals and families.

SANE's vision has remained consistent throughout its twenty five year history: to raise public awareness, excite research, and bring more effective professional treatment and compassionate care to everyone affected by mental illness.

SANE is a UK-wide charity working to improve quality of life for people affected by mental illness. SANE has three main objectives linked to our aims and outcomes:

to raise awareness and combat stigma about mental illness, educating and campaigning to improve mental health services
to provide care and emotional support for people with mental health problems, their families and carers as well as information for other organisations and the public
to initiate research into the causes and treatments of serious mental illness such as schizophrenia and depression and the psychological and social impact of mental illness.
SANE offers emotional support and information to anyone affected by mental health problems through our helpline and email services and our online Support Forum where people share their feelings and experiences.

What we do

SANE provides emotional support and information to anyone affected by mental illness, including families, friends and carers. 

Our mental health support services are completely confidential. Whatever your problems or concerns, you will receive non-judgemental emotional support. Our professional staff and trained volunteers have specialist mental health knowledge; we can help you consider options for support that address your individual circumstances.

Our services and support options are designed to provide a range of ways of getting and giving support, and considering self-help and self-management strategies.

They also encourage you to feel part of the wider SANE community as we work together to address the complexities of mental ill-health including stigma, exclusion and isolation, as well as the daily challenges of living with mental illness.

How to access

SANE services and support options

• Helpline: Available on 0300 304 7000 from 6pm - 11pm every evening
• Textcare: Allows you to arrange for messages of support at times that are right for you
• Support Forum: Available 24 hours a day to share your experiences with other members and give and receive mutual support 
• Letters: You can write to us at SANE Services, St. Mark's Studios, 14 Chillingworth Road, Islington, London, N7 8QJ
• Facebook and Twitter: Our social media communities are a good source of contact, support and sharing. (Click links on left hand menu.) You can see all the content even if you don't have a Facebook or Twitter account yourself.
• Stories: Share your stories, experiences and feelings. You may help others by doing so, as well as helping yourself by releasing and sharing feelings and emotions.
• Blogs: Share experiences, thoughts and opinions; invite others to comment and share their thoughts.  

 NB: Our SANEmail service is currently being reviewed to make it more interactive and collaborative, and to provide a better service for you. It will be available again as soon as possible.